Description

It wouldn't be Christmas without a little family drama, but pretending to date my cousin's best friend after letting him help get rid of a dead body felt a bit extreme.

In all fairness, none of this was Patrick's fault. He just so happened to stumble upon me digging a hole in the forest by his cabin while I tried to bury my husband.

He was a good sport and offered to help however he could, whether that was with disposing of a body, or pretending to be my boyfriend. He didn't even bat an eye when my cousin threatened to kick his ass for dating me once he found out about our fake relationship.

The issue with accepting his help was that my problem was bigger than anything either of us could handle. It was one thing when your husband died suddenly of natural causes, but when his body was found with unexplained bruises, people started asking questions. Add in that it was a shotgun wedding in Vegas six months ago, and an offshore account with a large balance you knew nothing about, and things didn't look too good for me.

When my husband's secrets threatened to haunt me from the grave, we realized my problem was far bigger than any of us imagined. Especially when a mysterious person lurked in the shadows, desperate for the money I had yet to claim.

While I struggled to keep the cause of his death a secret, I couldn't help but worry about what hidden skeletons from my past they might dig up in the investigation. There was a lot on the line, and I couldn't risk bringing Patrick down with me, even if he insisted on helping.

Love always came at a cost, but this time, it might just cost me my life.

Content Warnings:

Violence/ Domestic Violence

Murder

Stalking

Explicit language and sexual content